Flush tank utility shelf



Mig Z W39 A. H. GOEPEL FLUSH TANK UTILITY SHELF Filed Aug. 11, 1958 WMM-f INVENTQR Awww? @w im? #IW TTORNEY Patented Aug. 22, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUSH TANK `UTILITY SHELF Arthur H. Goepel, Waterbury, Conn., assignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application August 11, 1938, Serial No. 224,319

Claims.

` struction of my earlier utility shelf covered by Patent No. 2,033,629 dated March 10, 1936. Since the earlier embodiment of this tray has now been on the market for several years, various minor faults have vbeen discovered and the knowledge gained from public use has taught the need of a new tray necessitating various mechanical changes in construction which presents several desirable features over the earlier embodiment and a less costly tray for the benefit of the public.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a utility tray which is adapted to be set directly on top of the ush tank and held in place by adjustable brackets that are only adjustable in a linear direction.

A further object is to provide a tray of the above nature in which the brackets are secured fast in an adjusted position to accommodate the various sizes of the ush tanks to which the tray may be attached; and, in addition, the brackets are constructed with depending spring lugs designed to cam into place at the top of the ush tank hold the tray secure and centralize it relative to said tank.

With these and other objects in view there is illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 represents a front elevational view of the iiush tank shelf.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the underside of the same.

Fig. 3v is a vertical sectional view through one end of the shelf showing the means for adjustably attaching the brackets.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view from the top of the tray taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3'.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the special bolt, washer and nut used for attaching the bracket to the tray.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral Ill indicates generally a substantially rectangular flat metal shelf or tray having a ange I I depending from all edges of said tray. The major central portion or plane of the tray is depressed as at I2 and connected to'the upper plane 12a of the tray by a continuous inclined connecting section I3, integrally joining the depressed portion I2 to the upper plane 12a and serving to strengthen the tray.

In order to provide a means for holding toilet articles, etc. upon the tray Ill that might perchance be knocked over or brushed aside, 4an elevated rail I4 is provided that extends around the front and side edges of the tray I0. Aside from the practical aspect of the rail I4 it also serves to considerably enhance the attractive appearance 10 of the tray. The rail I4 is retained in an elevated position by means of a plurality of supporting posts I5, four in this instance, one located` in each rear corner of the tray and two at an intermediate position on the front edge. The posts 15 are secured in a vertical position to the upper' plane I 2a of the tray by screws 16, passing through suitable holes in the trayfrom the underside.

'I'he underside of the tray I0 is provided with a' 20 pair of relatively wide opposed bracket members |1-I1, the outer ends of which are bent downwardly into sinuously shaped lugs I8, I8 of a resilient nature. The particular shape and forming of the. lugs I8, i8 permits them to be only in a'plane transversely to the plane of the bracketjbase., ,The terminal end of each lug is shaped in an arcuate camming section I 9, I 9 that facilitates the assembly of a tray I0 upon the 23, 23, aA set being clearly detailed in Fig. 5. 35

The bolt 2| is adapted to t in a specially shaped hole 24, pierced through the depressed plane I2 of the tray I0 and through a longitudinal slot 25 provided in the flat base of the bracket I1. Speciflcally the bolt 2| is formed with a attened 40 head 26 which engages against the top surface -of the depressed plane. I2 of the tray I0 and with an intermediate shank 21 having a pair of opposed attened surfaces, 21a, 21a, the bolt terminating in the usual threaded section 28. It 45 will be noted from Fig. 4 that the special shaped holes 24 in the tray I0 correspond to the( cross section shape of the shank 21 so as to prevent relative twisting of the boli*l 2l to the tray. 'I'his construction is adopted so as to permit the use of a relatively thin dat head 26 on the bolt 2| without the necessity of a screw driver kerf thus adding to the attractiveness of the article and eliminating any catch pocket for dirt. 'I'he Width of the longitudinal slots 25 in the brackets I1; 55

exed 25 top of the iiush tank 20, a section of the .latter is 30 I1 correspond to the width between the flats 21a of the bolt shank 21, and the washers 22, 22 which engage against the under surface of the brackets have a special shaped hole 29 likewise corresponding to the cross section shape of the bolt shank 21. The nut 23 has the usual threaded engagement upon the threaded section 28 of the bolt 2| to hold the parts in assembled position.

The assembly of the bolts 2|, 2| and the complementary parts for holding the brackets I1, I1 in place is Well illustrated in Fig. 3. In adjusting and setting the brackets I1, I'I to accommodate the ush tank 2.0, the dimension A in Fig. l between the inner walls of the flush tank will first be determined, then by loosening up the nuts 23, 23 each bracket I1 may be slid in a linear direction outwardly to a position where preferably the'arcuate oamming section I9 of the lugs I8, IB will be spaced a distance somewhat greater than the distance A between the inner walls of the flush tank 20, and the nuts 2 I 2| tightened up.

When the tray is assembled upon the flush tank 20 the lugs I8, I8 will be automaticallysprung inwardly by reason of the camming section I9 camming against the inner walls, of the tank 20 and consequently the brackets I1, I1 will at all times be tensioned against said inner walls. The resilient feature of the lugs not only serves to centralize the tray I0 relatively to the ush tank 20 but will hold it in a more secure position to prevent its rattling or easy displacement olf from the ush tank 20.

While the form of the invention herewith shown and described embraces a preferred embodiment of the same, it is to be understood that the construction may be varied as to mechanical details without departing from the spirit ofthe invention and the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Leteers Patent, is:

l. In a cover for attachment to a flush tank, a relatively flat tray, a pair of brackets, means for securing said brackets to the underside of said tray, said means comprising a bolt, washer and nut for each bracket, said bolt formed with an intermediate shank with opposed attened sections, said tray having a pair of holes corresponding in shape to the transverse section of said shank, said brackets each having a longitudinal slot of a width equal to the distance across the flats of said shank, the shank of said bolts being engaged in said tray holes and bracket slots and serving to permit longitudinal adjustment of said brackets without relative twisting of said brackets to said tray.

2. In a cover for attachment to a flush tank, a relatively fiat tray, a pair of brackets comprising a at base portion with a longitudinal slot and integral resilient depending lugs, means for adjustably securing said brackets to the underside of said tray comprising a bolt, nut and washer for each bracket, said bolt having an lntermediate asymmetrical shaped shank, and said tray having a pair of holes corresponding to the shape of said shank and each washer having a similar shaped hole, whereby when the bolt, washer and bracket are assembled in place and secured by said nut no relative twisting will be effected between said bolt, washer and tray.

3. In a cover for attachment to a flush tank, a tray having its major central portion depressed below a surrounding raised border surface, a rail, a plurality of posts secured to the top of said border surface and supporting said rail above said tray in parallel relation to the front and sides of said tray, a pair of adjustable brackets having depending arcuate shaped spring lugs secured to the underside of said tray, and means for securing said brackets rigidly in set position so as to permit said lugs to cam into the top of said flush tank upon the assembly of said tray, said means comprising a bolt having a relatively thin flatv unmutilated head adapted to set against the top surface of said tray and having cooperative nonrotatable engagement with said tray.

4. In a cover for attachment :to the top of a flush tank, a tray, a pair of adjustable brackets attached to the underside of said tray having depending resilient lugs for engagement with the inner walls of said tank, and means permitting said brackets to be adjusted in straight linear direction substantially along the longitudinal center of said tray and to be secured in a set position to the tray.

5. In a cover for attachment to the top of a flush tank of various sizes comprising a tray, a pair of brackets mounted on the underside of said tray, means permitting linear adjustment of said bracket to accommodate various size flush tanks, means for rigidly securing said bracket in locked position in accordance with the size of the tank. and depending spring lug means forming a part of said brackets adapted to cam into the top of said tank and frictionally hold said tray in place.

ARTHUR H, GOEPEL. 

